Chartis Launches Program to Help Reduce Concussions and Other Head Injuries for Young Athletes

Chartis has launched an education and awareness program through its Accident & Health division called “aHead of the Game"  to help reduce the risks of concussions and other head injuries in youth sports. Chartis plans to leverage its insurance broker distribution system to disseminate information to coaches, parents and young athletes that details the signs and symptoms of concussions, outlines proper treatment, and promotes appropriate return to play protocols to avoid the significant dangers of multiple concussions.

Published on September 28, 2011

“Chartis currently works with more than 500 athletic organizations and sport camps, providing participant insurance coverage solutions and risk management services,” said Susan Clarke, President of Accident & Health, U.S. “We are strong advocates of the many benefits that our kids derive from participation in youth sports. That’s why we are committed to help reduce risks for young athletes and reduce exposure to costly losses for our amateur sports clients.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 135,000 children between the ages of 5 and 18 are treated in emergency departments each year for sports- or recreation-related concussions and other head injuries. Emergency room visits for concussions in kids ages 8-13 doubled from 1997 to 2007 and concussions have skyrocketed 200 percent among kids age 14 to 19 over the same span, according to a recent study by The American Academy of Pediatrics.

“For so many years, young athletes were often advised to ‘tough it out’ when they ‘got their bell rung’ in practice or competition,” said Dr. William Spangler, Worldwide Medical Director for Travel Guard, a unit of Chartis, who also serves as the team emergency physician for the NFL’s Houston Texans. “Thanks in large part to the NFL and other professional sport leagues, awareness of the potential dangers of concussions, especially multiple concussions, has trickled down to college and high school levels. There are many outstanding organizations today that are focused on reducing the risks of concussions, and we’re proud to join this initiative with a focus on young athletes. These are the athletes that have the highest risk of suffering long term repercussions of a single or multiple concussions.”

As part of its “aHead of the Game” initiative, Chartis has created educational materials for coaches/athletic directors, parents, teachers and athletes. Locker room posters for baseball, football, hockey and other sports are also available for youth sports teams. A monthly newsletter and a quarterly trend report will be distributed to brokers serving the amateur sports market, youth sports organizations and other organizations who want to help reduce the risks of concussions and other head injuries in youth sports.

For more information about “aHead of the Game,” please contact Dan McGinnity, Chief Marketing Officer for Accident & Health, at 212-458-8506 or dan.mcginnity@chartisinsurance.com. You can also visit www.chartisinsurance.com/aheadofthegame.